Knife of Dreams/Prologue
Summary : Galad, Trom, Dain Bornhald, and Jaret Byar are riding along a road in Amadicia, north of a mountain range that held the ancient mines of Aelgar. They are heading to a manor house once belonging to Ailron, which now serves as the headquarters for the Whitecloaks, who are now allied with the Seanchan. Galad plans to kill Eamon Valda because Bornhald and Byar told him that Valda assaulted and killed Morgase. Trom and Galad have both been promoted to Lord Captain because three of the high officers were killed by the Seanchan at Jeramel. At the manor there are about fifty regular Whitecloaks and a half dozen Questioners led by Rhadam Asunawa. Valda chastises Trom; he and the other Lords Captain are supposed to be headed to Nassad for a meeting with the Seanchan. Trom says that one of the Children has defiled and murdered the family of one of their numbers, and wishes to call the Trial Beneath the Light. Asunawa objects and asks Trom to name the criminal so the Questioners can interrogate him. Valda approves, however, and Galad challenges him. Asunawa wants to arrest Galad, but Valda overrides him and accepts. Bornhald takes Galad's cloak and sword belt while another under-lieutenant, Kashgar, takes Valda's. Bornhald warns Galad that Valda strikes to the left most often, but Galad has trained under Henre Haslin and Gareth Bryne, and is aware of that. After a fierce battle, Galad kills Valda. Most of the Whitecloaks applaud, but Asunawa and the Questioners are gone. They have headed out toward Nassad, just over the border. Galad's supporters believe Asunawa has gone to talk the other Lords Captain into arresting him. Galad wants to seek other allies to oppose the Seanchan and the others agree. Galad tells them that he also intends to fight at Tarmon Gai'don, but to do it, they might have to ally with Aes Sedai and Asha'man. The men reluctantly agree. Whitecloak law says it is allowable to ally with the serpent to fight the raven. By virtue of defeating Valda under Trial Beneath the Light, Galad receives Valda's rank. He is now Lord Captain Commander. : It is near dawn as Rodel Ituralde leads a hundred Domani and three hundred Taraboners. His horse is Steady. Tornay Lanasiet leads two hundred Taraboners. They are near the village of Serana in Tarabon, halfway between Elmora and Amadicia. There is a Seanchan camp nearby. He thinks of his wife Tamsin Ituralde. They ride into view of the camp surprising the Seanchan and Taraboners there. The defenders mount a charge and seem to trample a few people in the field. Lanasiet's men charge forward, but Ituralde has his archers take out the Seanchan command along with a sul'dam and damane. After three volleys the survivors flee, pursued by Lanasiet and his men. Jaalam rides up. There are no bodies on the field where the people were standing. Ituralde orders him to burn the warehouse. He has twenty thousand men all over Tarabon on similar raids. He means to work his way back north and re-gather his men. He expects the Seanchan to follow in a fury. They will fall into the trap he has set in Almoth Plain. If they see the trap he has a backup plan. : It is nearly dawn in Ebou Dar after a sleepless night. Suroth wonders if Tuon is alive or dead; she has been missing for seventeen days. She thinks she is dead because the escape of the Atha'an Miere damane and the death of Tylin occurred on the same night Tuon disappeared. Two of her own sul'dam, Renna and Seta, disappeared at the same time, and Egeanin Tamarath stole a pair of damane and also disappeared. Someone is trying to disrupt the Return. If Tuon is, indeed, dead, Suroth will have to apologize to the Empress. She decides that she will kill herself before reaching Seandar if it comes to that. Tuon's der'sul'dam left nine days ago with all her sul'dam and damane. Captain Musenge left at the same time with many of his men. They have been gone too long for a simple training exercise, so Suroth thinks they are searching for Tuon. She worries that someone may suspect she is Atha'an Shadar, a Darkfriend. The door opens and a da'covale enters, whom Suroth identifies as Liandrin. Almandaragal, her lopar, prepares to defend her and Suroth berates her. Liandrin says that she would not harm Suroth and cites how she killed Alwhin as proof that she can be useful. She brings a message from an officer of Captain-General Lunal Galgan to summon Suroth. Suroth thinks it is time to have a sul'dam collar Liandrin, although she enjoys owning the former Aes Sedai who had disrespected her previously. There are already whispers of a marath'damane among her servants and it will be a shock when they discover that Liandrin is shielded so that she cannot channel. Suroth will send Elbar to find another sul'dam Darkfriend, but they are surprisingly few. She sends Liandrin to Rosala for a beating then goes to her anteroom where Banner-General Mikhel Najirah awaits. Najirah escorts her through the palace to Captain-General Galgan's office. He tells her that raken began arriving three hours ago with reports from Lieutenant-General Turan of dozens of raids in Tarabon. Several of the raiders wear armor painted with stripes, the armor of the loyal Taraboners. Rodel Ituralde was supposedly behind them. Suroth orders them to bring her Ituralde's head; she orders Captain of the Air Abaldar Yulan to put most of his raken on the hunt. Yulan wants to save some for Banner-General Tylee Khirgan and to search for the Aiel and seven thousand deserter Whitecloaks in Amadicia, but Galgan does not object as long as he has the to'raken he needs for Altara and Illian. Suroth returns to her rooms where Semirhage appears masked in fire. Semirhage offers to make her Empress. Suroth is terrified at such a prospect, but Semirhage tells her that Empress Radhanan and all the imperial family are dead. Seandar is in chaos and there is war from the Aldael Mountains to Salaking. She laughs and says, "Let the Lord of Chaos rule." Suroth is horrified that even one of the Da'concion, the Chosen Ones, could do that. Semirhage orders her to put all her efforts to killing Tuon and to expanding the rumor that she is an impostor. Suroth agrees. She will send Elbar with thousands of men. : Pevara Tazanovni and Javindhra Doraille, both of the Red Ajah, are meeting with Tsutama Rath. Due to the fact the Galina Casban disappeared during the Battle of Dumai's Wells and is now presumed dead, the Red Ajah decided to select Tsutama as their new Highest. She recently was called back from exile by the Amyrlin Elaida and Pevara is greatly relieved over Tsutama election, because she was aware that Galina was a Darkfriend. Tsutama is angry over the events that happened at Dumai's Wells, where she believes that three of her own Ajah perished. What is more, news of what happened on that fateful day is slowly spreading throughout the White Tower, no matter how hard they try to contain the information. Faced with Tsutama's anger, Pevara wishes that the third Sitter of the Red, Duhara Basaheen, was here. However, she had left the Tower approximately one week ago. Finally, Tsutama reveals the real reason why she met with the two other Sitters. Sashalle Anderly sent a message to Galina, believing the former Highest to be alive in the Tower, where she says she is in charge of most of the sisters in the city of Cairhien. Sashalle also notes that many Aes Sedai are getting along with the Asha'man, ignorant of the bond between them. These Asha'man and sisters used the Warders of Aes Sedai believed to be with Rand al'Thor to try and track him down with gateways and the bond following the cleansing of saidin. Next, she reveals that Logain Ablar has been healed from gentling, a feat that the White Tower still believes to be impossible at the moment. Lastly, and most importantly, Sashelle reveals that she and many other sisters have sworn an oath to obey the Dragon Reborn until after Tarmon Gai'don, after she and two other sisters, Irgain Fatamed and Ronaille Vevanios, were healed by Damer Flinn from stilling. Tsutama discusses the situation for awhile with the other sisters, before telling Pevara to go ahead with her idea to bond Asha'man. This is something that needs to be done to counter what they believe the Forsaken did twelve days ago. Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan is not to be informed, for this is Ajah's business, and as the Amyrlin Seat, Elaida is no longer of the Red. The two Sitters are dismissed. Pevara muses about the tensions in the Tower that are ripping the relations between the Ajahs apart before meeting up with Yukiri. Both are disappointed about the fact that their hunt for the Black Ajah has reached a standstill, as four Darkfriends out of the eight they are aware of are outside of the Tower, and the other four are already brought to heel. Yukiri reveals that Talene Minly, one of the Darkfriends, has been ordered to appear before the Supreme Council of the Black Ajah. Talene is afraid that she is being summoned to be questioned, and so they decide to hide her away in the bowels of the Tower, after briefly discussing the possibility of breaking into the meeting and capturing the whole council. Next, Yukiri says that she has heard from Akoure Vayet, who has also sworn an oath to Rand al'Thor. Seaine Herimon then walks up to the two and reveals that she too has heard the news, from Ayako Norsoni. Finally, Seaine tells the other two that Elaida has just ordered her to discover proof that Alviarin Freidhen has been engaging in treasonous correspondence with the Dragon Reborn meaning she did not start a hunt for the Black Ajah even though that is what they found. All three of them are extremely afraid, for the events that are happening all increase the chances of them being found out by the Black Ajah. : Alviarin has just retrieved a secret message of the Black Ajah and she is returning to her rooms. She still thinks how she felt overwhelmed by her experience with Shaidar Haran, representing the Great Lord in her eyes and constantly fingers the spot on her forehead where he touched her. In the White Ajah quarters she passes Seaine and Ferane on the way, two Sitters. Her whole Ajah is ashamed about Alviarin for being demoted from Keeper. She passes also Astrelle and Tesan who are discussing the statistical methods of Radun and Covanen. She passes Ramesa and Norine who even spurn her. Alviarin is also still sore from the penances with Silviana, ordered by Elaida. But one day she will take revenge to all of them. Alviarin thinks that Katerine is spreading the news of Dumai's Wells through the Black Ajah, undermining the Tower confidence to the base. In her rooms Alviarin finally decodes the message and two others. One reports that Talene left the White Tower yesterday, before attending the Supreme Council meeting. Alviarin is now certain there was something between her and Yukiri and Doesine. Alviarin is afraid to call Mesaana again, who probably wants to kill her, for what happened last time. So she writes orders to find Talene and to keep close watch on Yukiri and Doesine. : Wearing gai'shain white, Galina rides her horse Swift outside the Shaido camp. Therava still owns her; she cannot channel without permission. Sevanna almost never lets her, and Therava doesn't let her at all. Her goal is to get the binder so she can remove her oath of obedience. Therava has forbidden her to pick it up. She is intercepted by Gaul and Fager Neald, who kidnap her. She threatens that Therava and Sevanna will punish them, but they bind and gag her. They bring her through a gateway to Perrin's camp. Outside Perrin's tent, she overhears the end of a conversation about arranging a meeting. Perrin, Berelain, a soldier, and a man in a black coat are in the tent. Galina recognizes Berelain, and remembers from Dumai's Wells she realizes that Neald and the other black coated man are Asha'man. She nearly panics, but Gaul and Neald hold her firmly in place. Despite her gai'shain robes, she claims she is on Aes Sedai business with Sevanna and that Faile and Alliandre are under her protection in Malden. She gives her name as Alyse. Berelain offers to let her speak with Masuri Sokawa, Seonid Traighan, and Annoura Larisen, but Galina declines. Perrin has her verify the accuracy of maps of Malden and the surrounding Shaido camp. She asks him to hold off his attack for a week so she can conclude her affairs. He does not commit, then asks her about the Wise Ones drinking only water, which she confirms. He asks her to warn Faile to go to Lady Cairen's fortress at the north end of the city and hide when she hears wolves during the day. Lying, Galina says she will. Before she is escorted out, she asks Berelain to slap her; the bruises will help her prove that she was kidnapped when she returns to the camp. After retrieving her horse Neald takes her back to the Shaido camp. She is late and Therava punishes her. She plans to get the binder, kill Faile and her friends, and escape. : Egwene is in a coach after having been captured and dosed with forkroot on her way to the White Tower. Katerine Alruddin slaps her, aware that she is waking up. She will be taken to the cells in the White Tower and expects to be charged with falsely claiming to be Amyrlin and executed. Egwene asks who betrayed her so Katerine plans to slap her again but Felaana Bevaine stops her and they begin to argue and all of the Aes Sedai prepare to channel. Tensions in the coach are high between the two red Sisters and the other three Aes Sedai. She is asked what she did to the harbor chain. She is a bit impertinent when she tells them is it now cuendillar so there is nothing they can do without tearing down the gatehouses so Katerine slaps her very hard again. She plans to meet Siuan in tel'aran'rhiod to let her know what happened so the Rebel Aes Sedai can make arrangements for new leadership. They arrive at the tower and Nicola Treehill is dressed as a Novice and delivers a message that Egwene is to be handed over to the Mistress of Novices, Silviana Brehon. As the sniping continues between the Aes Sedai, Egwene's spirits go up. Melare meets up with Katerine and Barasine, informing them that they caught a wilder at South Harbor. It was strange though since they couldn't detect any channeling and were lucky to have caught sight of the boat. Egwene comments on how clever Leane was but they don't believe it could be Leane Sharif even after Egwene explains that the change in her looks is due to stilling and that she was healed by Nynaeve. They arrive at the Mistress of Novices study and Egwene is turned over to Silviana. Silviana asks why she isn't hysterical but Egwene just replies that it would do no good. Silviana tells her she has been demoted to Novice by Elaida but Egwene states that she is Aes Sedai since she was raised to the Amyrlin Seat. Egwene will be shielded at night but receive an hourly dose of forkroot so that she will only be able to channel small amounts when she attends classes. Before being taken to her room for the night Egwene tells the Sisters of her dream of the Seanchan attacking the White Tower. Silviana promises to consider her warning and also talk to the other woman to see if it really is Leane. She goes to sleep and enters tel'aran'rhiod with hopes that she can accomplish something with the tower in discord. Characters *Galad Damodred *Trom *Dain Bornhald *Jaret Byar *Eamon Valda *Rhadam Asunawa *Kashgar *Doirellin *Rodel Ituralde *Steady *Tornay Lanasiet *Jaalam Nishur *Suroth Sabelle Meldarath *Liandrin *Almandaragal *Mikhel Najirah *Lunal Galgan *Abaldar Yulan *Semirhage *Pevara Tazanovni *Tsutama Rath *Javindhra Doraille *Adelorna Bastine *Yukiri *Seaine Herimon *Alviarin Freidhen *Ferane Neheran *Astrelle *Tesan *Ramesa *Norine Dovarna *Galina Casban *Swift *Gaul *Fager Neald *Noren groom *Perrin Aybara *Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron *Gerard Arganda - the soldier *Jur Grady - the man in a black coat *Lini - the lean serving woman *Egwene *Felaana Bevaine *Pritalle Nerbaijan *Berisha Terakuni *Barasine *Nicola Treehill *Harril *Bloodlance *Melare *Silviana Brehon Referenced *Ailron *Morgase Trakand *Pedron Niall *Henre Haslin *Gareth Bryne *Tamsin Ituralde *Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag *Renna Emain *Seta Zarbey *Egeanin Tamarath *Melitene - Tuon's der'sul'dam *Captain Musenge *Alwhin *Zaired Elbar *Rosala *Beslan Mitsobar *Luthair Paendrag *Turan *Tylee Khirgan *Empress Radhanan *Therava *Sevanna *Faile Bashere *Alliandre Maritha Kigarin *Masuri Sokawa *Seonid Traighan *Annoura Larisen *Cairen *Tylin *Duhara Basaheen *Sashalle Anderly *Toveine Gazal *Katerine Alruddin *Elaida do Avriny a'Roihan *Tarna Feir *Logain Ablar *Irgain Fatamed *Ronaille Vevanios *Damer Flinn *Talene Minly *Marris Thornhill *Atuan Larisett *Karale Sanghir *Saerin Asnobar *Zerah Dacan *Akoure Vayet *Evanellein *Doesine Alwain *Ayako Norsoni *Shaidar Haran *Mesaana *Rand *Siuan Sanche *Nynaeve al'Meara *Romanda Cassin *Lelaine Akashi *Jala Bandevin *Merym *Leane Sharif *Areina Nermasiv *Zanica *Desala Nevanche *Sheriam Bayanar Groups *Children of the Light *Hand of the Light *Seanchan *Aes Sedai *Asha'man *Sea Folk *Aiel *Aes Sedai *Shaido *Forsaken Places *Amadicia *Tarabon *Ebou Dar *Serana *''Tel'aran'rhiod'' *Malden Referenced *Jeramel *Nassad *Elmora *Almoth Plain *Illian *Seandar *Aldael Mountains *Salaking *Dumai's Wells *Aryth Ocean *Andor *Almoth Plain *Arad Doman *Altara *Blight *Tar Valon *Cairhien (city) *Murandy *Mayene Culture *Trial Beneath the Light *''Damane'' *''Sul'dam'' *Deathwatch Guards *''Da'covale'' Sword Forms *Cat Crosses the Courtyard *Plucking the Low-Hanging Apple *Leopard's Caress *Parting the Silk *The Dove Takes Flight *Kingfisher Circles the Pond *Lizard in the Thornbush *Lightning of Three Prongs *Leaf on the Breeze *Eel Among the Lily Pads *Two Hares Leaping *Hummingbird Kisses the Honeyrose *The Wood Grouse Dances *Red Hawk Takes a Dove *River of Light *Rain in High Wind *Threading the Needle *The Swallow Takes Flight *Reaping the Barley *Stones Falling from the Cliff {DISPLAYTITLE|''Embers Falling on Dry Grass'' Knife of Dreams/Prologue}}